


I don't think manipulation is cool either

by PumpkinPieTimb



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alexis | Quackity Needs a Hug, Drabble, Karl Jacobs-centric, Light Angst, M/M, Polyamorous Character, Protective Karl Jacobs, Sad Toby Smith | Tubbo, Tales from the SMP: Wild West, Time Travelling Karl Jacobs, Trauma, ammirite bois?, it's not dream smp without trauma, no beta we die like john john, s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:49:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinPieTimb/pseuds/PumpkinPieTimb
Summary: Karl turned to look at Jack, only to flinch back at the furious face of Quackity glaring back at him."Are you trying to manipulate me? Are you trying to manipulate me because I have a moral stand on things? I don't think it's cool for you to manipulate me like that. That's all I'm gonna say." He hissed.Karl blinked and suddenly it was Jack in front of him again.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Alexis| Quackity & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Karl Jacobs & Toby Smith | Tubbo
Comments: 8
Kudos: 229





	I don't think manipulation is cool either

**Author's Note:**

> So you know that one line during TFTSMP: Wild West when Quackity broke character and said those things from the summary? Yeah, I couldn't help but write a drabble. It's kinda messy and all over the place, but I hope you enjoy! :D

“Shh, you’re okay nor Q. They’re not here anymore, you’re safe. Tubbo’s safe. Sapnap’s safe. I’m safe. Schlatt’s not coming back. Dream’s never going to get out of the prison. Sapnap and I will never let Techno touch you. We’re okay. You’re okay.” Karl whispered as he hugged Quackity tight.

Quackity sniffed and buried his face on Karl’s shoulder. “I’m s-so sick of it Karl. I can’t stop the nightmares, they just keep coming a-and I-I can’t do anything about it,” he sobbed.

Karl remained silent and instead started rubbing his fiancé’s back comfortingly, humming a song in hopes to calm the other down while they wait for Sapnap with the water. A few minutes later, he hears the quiet snoring of the younger and he smiles in relief.

“How is he?” Sapnap asked softly as he entered the room, handing Karl the water for Quackity. 

Karl set it down on the bedside table, mouthing a ‘thank you’ and gesturing for Sapnap to sit on the edge of the bed. “He’s… doing better. Went back to sleep a few minutes ago.” He whispered, tucking the hair on Quackity’s face behind his ears.

Sapnap frowned and ran his hand over his face. “What on earth did they do to him?” He asked, looking at the ceiling as if it held all the answers.

“I, I don’t know,” Karl answered sadly.

They actually already know what those monsters did to their fiancé, but they don’t really know all the details. All they know is that they weren’t the best people in the planet, since Quackity refuses to tell them any more than that. Sapnap may have some ideas on what Dream could have done to Quackity, but they’re not the same person, they don’t experience the same things.

* * *

“Hey Tubbo!” Karl called out as he saw the teen sitting at the edge of ‘L’Manhole’.

Tubbo turned to him with a small smile. “Hey Karl, what’s up?” He asked as Karl sat down next to him.

Karl smiled back. “Nothing much, I just had a question… If you wouldn’t mind,” he said sheepishly, scratching at his cheek. Maybe this was the wrong time, the kid looked like he was having a moment… “Uh, but if you’re a bit preoccupied that’s—“

“Oh! No, no, please, ask away,” Tubbo interrupted. “I was just… reminiscing. And I think I’ve had enough for the day.”

“Oh, uh, okay, okay. So I was just wondering how… how Schlatt treated Quackity back then?” He asked quickly. Like ripping off a bandage.

At Tubbo’s silence, Karl started regretting even mentioning the dictator to the kid. How could he be so stupid? This was _Tubbo_! The kid who Schlatt made decorate his own execution! What the hell Karl?!

“You don—“

“He wasn’t the very best,” Tubbo said quietly, staring at the remains of the once great country of L’Manburg. “Schlatt made me work endlessly and regularly said means things to me, but that was about it. I mean, sure he made me… uh, yeah. But Big Q always got the worst of it. Schlatt doesn’t like it when we talk back at him, but whenever Quackity sees me getting bullied by Schlatt he’d always step in. I was only mistreated verbally, Big Q got mistreated verbally, emotionally and physically…”

“What?” Karl asked in a dangerous voice, making Tubbo snap out of his melancholic state.

Tubbo turned to him with wide eyes. “I, uh, I-I shouldn’t have said that,” he said, standing up hastily. “I shouldn’t have said that, I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone— why did I say that?!”

Karl stood up as well and gently held both of the boy’s shoulders, forcing him into eye contact. “Tubbo, relax, you’re fine. If it helps, I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Tubbo looked to the ground with a small frown. “How do I know I can trust you?” He asked.

Karl sighed and went to ruffle Tubbo’s hair. “Because I don’t want you to get in trouble. Besides, I’m one of Q’s fiancés, I _should_ know about these things.”

The boy bat his hands away with a light chuckle. “Then why don’t you?” He asked, looking up at Karl with wide curious eyes.

Karl fought off the urge to frown and forced out a smile instead. “Let’s just say he doesn’t like storytelling. Speaking of storytelling, how close are you guys?” He asked, changing the subject to something lighter.

Tubbo smiled. “Oh we’re very close! It started when we were both working under Schlatt. He was always there for me even though I made a lot of mistakes during my presidency. He wasn’t the best vice, considering he was so hell bent on killing Techno that he lost one of his lives. But he’s great! He told me not to trust anyone, that I should stick to Tommy no matter what. He protected me. He talked to me whenever I was upset and alone in the White House. And he’s the one that told me not to let people step all over me. To not let myself be manipulated…” He trailed off at the end with a small frown, making Karl concerned.

“You okay there Tubbs?” Karl asked.

“Yeah… I just realized something,”

“Which is?” Karl prompted.

Tubbo looked at him with concern in his eyes. “Big Q might have been talking through experience.”

* * *

"I know you guys are killers, and robbers, and… republicans, but! You also have moral integrities. That’s why I think you shouldn’t shoot us all down like this. So I think we should do an old Texan stand-off. What do you think?" Karl suggested. He had to get them to agree, or else the whole town would get in trouble. This is the only way to prevent a massacre.

He looked at Mason and Flint, for confirmation, he only got shrugs in response. So then he turned to Jack, only to flinch back at the furious face of Quackity glaring back at him.

"Are you trying to manipulate me? Are you trying to manipulate me because I have a moral stand on things? I don't think it's cool for you to manipulate me like that. That's all I'm gonna say." He hissed.

Karl blinked and suddenly it was Jack in front of him again.

"But let me tell ya somethin'—" The bandit started rattling off, but Karl was too busy trying to comprehend what he just saw to even understand what it was about.

What was that? Why did Jack turn into Quackity? He’s… he’s in the past, does that mean Jack is Quackity’s ancestor? But… why would he— was he? Was Karl manipulating them? Surely… surely not, right? He can’t— he won’t do that! He’s not like—

“You okay Karl?”

Karl jumped a bit and turned to look at John. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good… I was just, just seeing things. Yeah.” He said with a shaky smile.

John didn’t look convinced, but he smiled back anyway. “Okay then, let’s get on with this.”

Karl sighed and fell back from the group, watching Jack talk to Mason. Dear god, please don’t let him do that mistake with his Quackity. Please don’t.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! :3


End file.
